The present invention relates generally to devices providing abdominal support and lower back support for the relief of discomfort associated with normal pregnancy.
It is well known that the body changes associated with pregnancy give rise to conditions that can cause a woman significant discomfort or pain ranging from mild to severe. Among the body changes are:
Normal weight gain and the added weight of the developing fetus shift the iliac crest of the pelvis forward in what is called anterior pelvic tilt which in turn causes the lumbar region of the spine to assume an exaggerated s-curve. Attempts to correct ones posture lead to even more curvature and increased stress placed on the lumbar region especially from L3-L5. A sense of increased pressure in the abdominal region and lower back pain are common complaints. In addition to the aforementioned changes, the pelvic ligaments relax due to the production of relaxin which causes the cartilage of joints to become increasingly malleable which allows the bones to shift and displace causing pain. While often referred to generically as “hip pain”, it encompasses a variety of conditions such as pelvic arthropathy.
Devices in the past that meant to address the related problems of lumbar support and abdominal support have fallen into several basic categories:
multi-piece units with wide abdominal bands and ribbed lumbar support, units integrated with and into an undergarment, those releasably detachable from an undergarment and single piece units worn over an undergarment or next to the skin.
User preference plays a significant role in the selection of a supportive device, each type having its relative advantages and limitations such as better lumbar or abdominal support respectively.
Previous devices that are one piece and worn over an undergarment or next to the skin appear to be the most closely related to the present invention. One of the significant limitations of the such devices is the absence of a means to relieve so-called hip pain and it is this limitation among others that the present invention addresses while improving the support means for the lower uterine segment and the lumbar region of the spine.